2/11/2018

Respiratory System
Gas exchange

W
O
R
K

• Why do we breathe? Think of all the T

reasons why we need a respiratory O
system. G
E
T
H
E
R

1
 2/11/2018

Warning: terminology!
• “Respiration” is used several different ways:
• Cellular respiration is the aerobic breakdown
of glucose in the mitochondria to make ATP.
• Respiratory systems are the organs in
animals that exchange gases with the
environment.
• “Respiration” is an everyday term that is often
used to mean “breathing.”

Respiratory system function

• Respiratory systems allow animals to

move oxygen (needed for cellular
respiration) into body tissues and
remove carbon dioxide (waste product of
cellular respiration) from cells.

2
 2/11/2018

Gas exchange by Diffusion

• Some animals simply

allow gases to diffuse
through their skins.

• These animals have a

low metabolic rate.
Why?

• All of these are aquatic

animals. Why?

Specialized structures
• Structures
specialized for gas
exchange include:

• gills (aquatic
animals)

• spiracles
(terrestrial insects)

• lungs (most
terrestrial
vertebrates)

3
 2/11/2018

Countercurrent Exchange
• In a concurrent
system, exchange is
inefficient.
Equilibrium is
reached at one end.

• In a countercurrent
system, equilibrium
is not reached, so
gas exchange
continues, increasing
efficiency.

Fish Gills
• Fish increase gas
exchange efficiency
using countercurrent
exchange.

• Running blood through

the system in the
opposite direction to
water keeps a diffusion
gradient throughout the
entire exchange.

4
 2/11/2018

Human respiratory system

• Parts of the
respiratory system
include:

• Trachea

• Bronchi

• Bronchioles

• Alveoli

Nasal Respiratory Overview Picture

Cavity
Throat
Nose (pharynx)
Mouth
Windpipe
(Trachea)
Bronchus
Left lungs
Bronchiole Ribs

Alveolus

Diaphragm MB

5
 2/11/2018

The Nose and Mouth

This is where it all begins.

This is where the oxygen first
enters your body and also where
Carbon Dioxide leaves.

6
 2/11/2018

The Nose and Mouth

When the air comes into your nose it gets
filtered by tiny hairs and it is moistened by the
mucus that is in your nose.

Your sinuses also help out with your

Respiratory System. They help to moisten
and heat the air that you breath.

Air can also get into your body through your

mouth/oral cavity but air is not filtered as
much when it enters in through your mouth.

Nose and Mouth Picture

Nasal Cavity

Nostril
Pharynx
Oral Cavity

Here is a picture of your nasal and

oral cavity.

7
 2/11/2018

Where are Nasal Passage

We?
We are here. Tongue
Pharynx

The Trachea
Bronchi Tubes is held open
by partial
Alveoli (air-sacs) rings of
cartilage.
Thin-walled blood vessels Bronchioles pass
called capillaries air to and from
your alveoli.
Very thin cells line the
alveoli so that O2 and
CO2 can pass in and
out of the blood.

The Pharynx and Trachea

Next we will head down to your pharynx

(throat) and your trachea (windpipe).
This is where the air passes from your
nose to your bronchi tubes and lungs.

8
 2/11/2018

The Pharynx and Trachea

Mouth Pharynx
(Throat)

Trachea

Your pharynx (throat) gathers air after it passes

through your nose and then the air is passed down to
your trachea (windpipe).

Your trachea is held open by “incomplete rings

of cartilage.” Without these rings your trachea
might close off and air would not be able to get
to and from your lungs.

Nasal Passage

Where are
We? Tongue
Pharynx

We are here.
The Trachea
Bronchi Tubes is held open
by partial
Alveoli (air-sacs) rings of
cartilage.
Thin-walled blood vessels Bronchioles pass
called capillaries air to and from
your alveoli.
Very thin cells line the
alveoli so that O2 and
CO2 can pass in and
out of the blood.

9
 2/11/2018

The Bronchi Tubes and

Bronchiole Intro

Your trachea (windpipe) splits up into

two bronchi tubes. These two tubes keep
splitting up and form your bronchiole.

MB

The Bronchi Tubes and

Bronchiole
These bronchi tubes split up, like
tree branches, and get smaller and smaller
inside your lungs.

The air flows past your bronchi tubes

and into your bronchiole. These tubes
keep getting smaller and smaller until they
finally end with small air sacs (called alveoli).
But we will go there later…

10
 2/11/2018

Alveoli and Bronchi Picture

Trachea

Bronchi Tubes

Bronchiole

Alveoli

Nasal Passage

Where are
We? Tongue
Pharynx

The Trachea
Bronchi Tubes is held open
by partial
Alveoli (air-sacs) rings of
cartilage.
Thin-walled blood vessels Bronchioles pass
called We are here.
capillaries air to and from
your alveoli.
Very thin cells line the
alveoli so that O2 and
CO2 can pass in and
out of the blood.

11
 2/11/2018

Alveoli
• The alveoli are moist, thin-walled pockets
which are the site of gas exchange.
• A slightly oily surfactant prevents the
alveolar walls from collapsing and sticking
together.

The Alveoli and Capillary

Network

Now we will head over to the

alveoli and what happens when the
air finally makes it down there.

12
 2/11/2018

The Alveoli and Capillary

Network
Your alveoli are tiny air sacs
that fill up with air/oxygen when you
breath in.

Your alveoli are surrounded by

many tiny blood vessels called
capillaries.

The walls of your alveoli (and capillaries) are

so thin that the oxygen or carbon dioxide can
pass through them, traveling right into, or
out of your blood stream.
MB

Alveoli Picture
Here is a close Capillary
up picture of
your Alveoli
and a Capillary
surrounding it.

Wall of Carbon
the air Dioxide is
sac dropped off
Oxygen is
picked up

Red Blood
Cell

13
 2/11/2018

Nasal Passage

Where are
We? Tongue
Pharynx

The Trachea
Bronchi Tubes is held open
by partial
Alveoli (air-sacs) rings of
cartilage.
Thin-walled blood vessels Bronchioles pass
called capillaries air to and from
your alveoli.
Very thin cells line the
alveoli so that O2 and
We are here. CO2 can pass in and
MB out of the blood.

Bronchiole
Respiratory Bronchiole
Alveolus

Alveolar Duct
Alveolar Sac
Capillaries

14
 2/11/2018

Looking at the Alveoli

Lets take a closer

look shall we.

Red blood cell carrying Carbon dioxide

Ch emicals

Chemical change is taking place in cell

Red blood cell carrying oxygen

Alveolus

Contiguous Basal Laminae (Membrane)

Capillary

JH

15
 2/11/2018

Oxygen

Diffusion

Carbon Dioxide

Oxygen diffuses
through the Alveolus
membrane into the
blood stream. Contiguous Basal Laminae (Membrane*)
Carbon Dioxide
diffuses through the Capillary
membrane and
enters the alveolus.

* A specialized thin layer of skin

that oxygen and carbon dioxide
can pass through.

Cool pictu res

JH

16
 2/11/2018

I
n
t
r
o

t
o

D
i
a
p
h
r
a
g
m

Now we will look at the Diaphragm.

You might be wondering, what does the
Diaphragm do? The Diaphragm is an
important factor in breathing.

Moving air in and out

• During inspiration
(inhalation), the
diaphragm and
intercostal
muscles contract.
• During exhalation,
these muscles
relax. The
diaphragm domes
upwards.

17
 2/11/2018

Diagram of Diaphragm

JH

18
 2/11/2018

Circulation and Gas Exchange

• Recall the
interconnection
between
circulation and the
respiratory
system.
• Gas exchange at
the lungs and in
the body cells
moves oxygen
into cells and

Gills exchange gases in fish. What is the

site of gas exchange in mammals?
25% 25% 25% 25%

1. Alveoli
2. Tracheids
3. Bronchi
4. Esophagus

1 2 3 4

19
 2/11/2018

W
O
R
• Why are gills so widely seen in aquatic K
animals but not in land animals?
T
• One group of land animals that have gills O
is the Isopods (“pill bugs” and “sow G
bugs”). How can these organisms E
survive on land with gills? T
H
E
R

20
 2/11/2018

What happens when you breathe

in?
1. The rib muscles 25% 25% 25% 25%
relax.
2. The diaphragm
contracts.
3. Air leaves the
alveoli.
4. Air moves between
the chest wall and
the lung.
1 2 3 4

W
O
R
K

• Premature infants sometimes die of lung T

collapse and other lung problems. What O
might preemies be missing? How could G
this be remedied? E
T
H
E
R

21
 2/11/2018

In the alveolus
• The respiratory
surface is made up
of the alveoli and
capillary walls.

• The walls of the

capillaries and the
alveoli may share
the same
membrane.

Gas Exchange Between the Blood

and Alveoli

Figure 10.8A

22
 2/11/2018

Gas exchange
• Air entering the lungs
contains more oxygen
and less carbon dioxide
than the blood that
flows in the pulmonary
capillaries.

• How do these
differences in
concentrations assist
gas exchange?

Oxygen transport

• Hemoglobin binds
to oxygen that
diffuses into the
blood stream.

• What are some

advantages to using
hemoglobin to
transport oxygen?

23
 2/11/2018

Carbon dioxide transport

• Carbon dioxide can
dissolve in plasma,
and about 70%
forms bicarbonate
ions.

• Some carbon
dioxide can bind to
hemoglobin for
transport.

At the cells
• Cells use up oxygen quickly for cellular
respiration. What does this do to the
diffusion gradient? How does this help
cells take up oxygen?
• Cells create carbon dioxide during
cellular respiration, so CO2 levels in the
cell are higher than in the blood coming
to them. How does this help cells get rid
of oxygen?

24
 2/11/2018

Respiratory Cycle

Figure 10.9

Four Respiration Processes

 Breathing (ventilation): Oxygen in to and Carbon

Dioxide out of the lungs
 External respiration: gas exchange between air

and blood (what can be exposed to the outside

of the body)
 Internal respiration: gas exchange between
blood and tissues (what cannot be exposed to
the outside of the body)
 Cellular respiration: oxygen used to produce ATP
(energy), carbon dioxide is the waste product –
Where does this process occur?

25
 2/11/2018

Diffusion of O2 from lungs to blood

is rapid because:
1. Active transport 33% 33% 33%
moves oxygen.
2. Hemoglobin takes up
oxygen, keeping
plasma
concentration low.
3. Blood plasma is
oxygen-rich.

1 2 3

Most of the oxygen in blood is:

25% 25% 25% 25%
1. In the white cells.
2. Bound to
hemoglobin.
3. Combined with
carbon to make
carbon dioxide.
4. Dissolved in the
plasma.

1 2 3 4

26
 2/11/2018

Malfunctions & Diseases of the Respiratory System

A severe allergic reaction

asthma characterized by the
constriction of bronchioles

Inflammation of the lining of

bronchitis
the bronchioles

A condition in which the alveoli

emphysema deteriorate, causing the lungs
to lose their elasticity

Caused by the bacteria,

pneumococcus. A condition in
pneumonia which the alveoli become filled
with fluid, preventing the
exchange of gases
An irregular & uncontrolled
lung cancer growth of tumors in the lung
tissue

27
 2/11/2018

Effects of smoking
• Inhaled smoke Gross, isn’t it?
contains:

• CO2, which affects the

CO2 diffusion gradient.

• carcinogenic chemicals
that can trigger tumors.

• toxic nicotine, which

paralyzes cilia that
normally clean the
lungs.

28
 2/11/2018

What Causes Emphysema?

• Cigarette smoking
• Deficiency alpha-1-antitrypsin

• air pollution,
• airway reactivity,
• Heredity
• sex, and age.
• Foreign objects (e.g. bacteria) are trying to be
destroyed but this enzyme destroys normal tissue
since the second enzyme (antiprotease) responsible
for controlling the first enzyme (protease)

29
 2/11/2018

Emphysema
• Besides cancer,
smoking can also lead
to emphysema. Alveoli
become dry and brittle,
and eventually rupture.

• Both active and passive

smoking (“second-hand”
smoke) can lead to can
lead to lung problems. All types of smoke, not just tobacco,
can cause cancers and emphysema.

30
 2/11/2018

“Two lies and a truth” – which one

is true?
1. Cigarette smoke
cures colds because 33% 33% 33%
it kills bacteria in the
lungs.
2. Nicotine is one of the
most potent
neurotoxins on earth.
3. “Passive” smoking is
less harmful than
“regular” smoking.
1 2 3

W
O
R
K
• When people quit smoking, if the lungs
are not damaged they can often clean T
themselves because the cilia are no O
longer paralyzed. What roles do cilia and G
E
mucus play in lung health?
T
H
E
R

31